Denver Broncos blow lead late in regulation, lose to Kansas City Chiefs in overtime

Santos' 34-yard FG hits left upright, goes through to win it

By Nicki Jhabvala

The Denver Post

Posted:
11/27/2016 11:08:30 PM MST

Updated:
11/28/2016 07:03:03 PM MST

Chiefs outside linebacker Justin Houston, right, sacks Broncos quarterback Trevor Siemian in the end zone for a safety during the first half Sunday at Sports Authority Field in Denver. (Joe Mahoney / Associated Press)

Chiefs kicker Cairo Santos watches his game-winning field goal in overtime as Broncos players react during the Chiefs' 30-27 win on Sunday in Denver. (Joe Amon / The Denver Post)

DENVER — Von Miller spelled out the Broncos' to-do list three days before they hosted Kansas City on Sunday night. In a huge game with playoff implications and their standing in the tough AFC West on the line, the Broncos needed to make the big plays they have hung their hat on the past two years.

The time was now.

"It's the biggest game of the year," Miller said, "and I want to go out there and take advantage of it."

Miller made plenty of big plays, as did quarterback Trevor Siemian, but they weren't enough as Kansas City rallied for a dramatic 30-27 overtime victory. Cairo Santos' 34-yard field goal, which hit the left upright and kicked right through the goal posts, won the game.

The Chiefs were set up for the score when Broncos coach Gary Kubiak had Brandon McManus try a 62-yard field goal moments earlier. McManus missed short and left with 1:08 left, giving Kansas City the ball at the Denver 48-yard line.

Miller recorded a game-high 10 tackles and three sacks, but those weren't enough either. The Chiefs (8-3) moved to one game behind Oakland (9-2), while Denver fell to 7-4.

Kansas City scored in the final second of regulation on Tyreek Hill's 3-yard reception, drawing the Chiefs within 24-22. Then, needing a two-point conversion, quarterback Alex Smith found Demetrius Harris open to tie the game at 24-24.

Hill torched the Broncos all night, scoring on a kick return and rushing attempt to go with his late reception.

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The Broncos won the toss to open overtime and moved to a 44-yard McManus field goal for a 27-24 lead.

The Chiefs then marched down the field to a 37-yard field goal by Santos to tie the score.

Denver's defense recorded a season-high six sacks but had trouble making plays when it mattered most, namely on the Chiefs' final drive of regulation and in overtime.

Siemian went 20-of-34 for 368 yards with three touchdowns, impressive considering the weak protection from his line. He was sacked five times, three of which were courtesy of linebacker Justin Houston, but he threw three second-half touchdowns and completed a bevy of big throws to give the Broncos the lead late.

Ty Sambrailo started at right offensive tackle for the Broncos, as coach Gary Kubiak indicated he would following Donald Stephenson's rough outing at New Orleans two weeks earlier.

But Stephenson ended up replacing Sambrailo midway through the second quarter because of similar struggles when Houston beat him for two sacks. On Stephenson's first play back on the right side of the line, Houston ripped through the left side for his third sack and a safety.

No, not even a bye week could settle this offensive line. And special teams didn't help either, drawing two costly penalties on punts and getting burned by Hill, who returned McManus' kick after a second quarter safety 86 yards for a touchdown. In 12 seconds Denver would like to forget, the Chiefs scored nine points without its offense on the field and without earning a first down in the second quarter.

McManus pared the lead to 9-3 before halftime with a 33-yard field goal, but the offensive to-do list heading to the break was long. The passing game was spotty and the running lagged from the opening whistle, recording only 12 of the team's 38 yards in a scoreless first quarter.

So Miller did just as he planned. He created his own plays, dropping back into coverage often while continuing to pressure Smith when rushing. In the last minute of the second quarter, Miller sacked Smith twice. DeMarcus Ware and Shane Ray added one apiece, on back-to-back plays in the fourth quarter. And later in the quarter, Miller picked up his third sack.

Denver's defense held the Chiefs to only 49 yards in the first half, only the 13th time in the last 25 years the Broncos have held an opponent to fewer than 50 yards in the opening half. More importantly, it gave the offense time to regroup.

In the Broncos first drive of the second half, Siemian guided Denver on a 12-play, 63-yard march that ended with a 6-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Taylor. Siemian scrambled on third down to evade pressure and connected with Taylor for the toe-tap score in the right corner of the end zone.

The Chiefs quickly responded with a 75-yard scoring drive extended by an illegal formation penalty by the Broncos on a field-goal attempt. Hill ran in his second touchdown of the night to put the Chiefs back on top, 16-10, after the third.

The defense's three fourth-quarter sacks stymied Kansas City and allowed the offense to take over. Siemian connected with Emmanuel Sanders on a go-ahead 35-yard-touchdown for a 17-16 lead. Bennie Fowler extended it with a 76-yard run-and-catch for a 24-16 lead but the Chiefs came roaring back, tying it at 24-all in the final second of regulation.

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